URC Daily Devotion 23rd October

Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying,

‘Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.’

Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple,

You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.’

Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many in the crowd believed in him and were saying,

‘When the Messiah comes, will he do more signs than this man has done?’

Reflection

Sometimes we forget how confusing the events surrounding Jesus were to both his followers and those around him; we have two millennia of interpretation, but they were simply faced with a strange man making extraordinary claims. So it’s no surprise people often didn’t know what to make of him , and this passage includes a debate on whether Jesus really could be the Messiah. Some people think he can’t be, because they know where he is from – presumably Nazareth – and the origins of the Messiah will be more mysterious.

We often define ourselves by where we are from, and it’s often one of the first questions we might ask someone we’ve just met. We’ve all met people who are living far away from where they were brought up but still think of that place at home. Many people make new lives for themselves in a new town or city, or a new country, sometimes through choice, sometimes through circumstances they can’t control. Some people of course are forced by politics or war to make a new home elsewhere, even as they long to return.

So where does Jesus come from, and where does he think of as home – Nazareth, Bethlehem, heaven? In this passage, he tells us he has been sent, but doesn’t say who by or where from. Is he an exile, able to say, as the great Woody Guthrie once sang, ‘I ain’t got no home in this world any more’? Or, as the Messiah, is at home everywhere he goes, on earth as in heaven? And are we, as Christians, at home both everywhere and nowhere; called to be apart, and yet always at home because Jesus is with us?

Gracious Godwe pray for people who feel they have no homeand for those who are building new livesfar from the places they come from.We pray we will all find a home where we feel safe and comfortable,yet not too comfortable to respond toyour often disruptive and disturbing call.Amen

St. Andrew's United Reformed Church - The United Reformed Church in Monkseaton and Whitley Bay

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.